Seven Virtues
by hostilecrayon
Summary: Duo comes to Heero to find refuge from life. This time is different though. Will he be able to leave again? 1x2x1 Written for the Seven Virtues challenge at Stages of Love.
1. Faith

Title: Faith

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 1+2

Rating: G

Word Count: 479

Notes: Heero POV. Written for the Stages of Love Challenge: Seven Virtues and the Glasses/Wufei x Relena gw500 LJ community challenge. I fail at life and this is very late. Finals are the devil. May God have mercy on my soul.

**Faith**

It was late in the evening and the sun was rapidly setting. I was absorbed in a book, enjoying the last of the sunlight as I rocked slowly in my rocking chair on the porch facing the street.

I heard the car coming from quite a ways away; the hum of the motor mingling with the sound of the birds until it was almost upon my little house. Its unmistakable rumble drowned out the peaceful birds completely as the car pulled into my driveway.

The car door slammed and I turned the page, listening as he stretched out from the long drive.

It was no mystery to me who the man popping his back in my driveway was. He'd been here before and he'd come again, whenever he needed sanctuary from the hectic life he lived. He was still reckless, something he couldn't yet move past, and 'fly by the seat of my pants' was still a perfect description for him.

At twenty years old, we had all changed. Just some of us in different ways.

Relena married Wufei, Zechs and Noin settled down, and Trowa and Quatre were inseparable. I lived a quiet and peaceful life out in the country and Duo did whatever he felt he had to.

He tried living in the colonies with Hilde. He tried living on Earth, both in large and small cities. He would call on me to tell him that it was okay. That it didn't have to be enough. That it was alright to seek out his dreams.

He hasn't found them yet, whatever they might be.

So he's here again, all lean muscle and height walking across my porch. His braid is longer now than it's ever been, and when he looks over his ridiculously large sunglasses and a ghost of a smile crosses his face, I look up into impossibly violet eyes. Impossible eyes that hold fear, hope and pain. Weary eyes.

"Heero."

"Duo." Relief washes over his features, wiping away some of the pain, but it's not enough to chase it all away. He's back again for another undetermined amount of time. It's going to be hard this time, just like it was the last time. I'm just not sure who it will be harder on.

He comes, he heals, he leaves. But it's never long before he calls on me again. It's not long between phone calls, and it definitely isn't long between visits. But when he shows up unexpected, he's here to stay for a while.

I won't ask what he's running from or what he's hoping for. I see the need in his eyes. I just pray he sees the faith in mine.

I want him. Someday, I have faith that he'll want me, too.

As he walks past me and into the house, I can't help but smirk, if only just a little.


	2. Hope

Title: Hope

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 1+2

Rating: G

Word count: 451

Notes: Duo POV. Written for the Seven Virtues Stages of Love Challenge: Hope and the Suit/Noin challenge at gw500.

**Hope**

I don't know what I'm looking for. All I know is that I haven't found it yet.

And so, I was in the one place that didn't put pressure on me; the one place I felt safe from the world crashing down around me: Heero's couch.

Heero was sitting across from me, easily trading stories of what we've been up to without pressing me for information, making the picture complete.

"So there she was, standing in line buying nothing but chocolate pudding and ice cream, with her belly out to here!" I made exaggerated round motions in front of my stomach. "I didn't even know Noin was pregnant!"

"Seven months if I remember right."

"Yeah, she told me! I can't believe her and Zechs are having a kid. Man, the world sure has changed."

"Four years is a long time."

"Sometimes it feels that way, doesn't it? But sometimes, I can't help but feel like hardly any time has passed at all. Time is funny like that." Heero nodded his agreement. "What have you been up to?"

"Not too much. I've been doing a little Preventor work here and there. I'm still trying to get used to the peace. I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but the settlements we got after the war makes sure that I have the time to think about it. I don't want to just jump into anything."

I smiled a little. It was just like Heero to have a plan before doing anything at all. He'd be good at whatever he chose, but Heero was never one to do things half-assed.

"I tried the Preventor thing. The suit and tie office attire just didn't do it for me."

He smirked. "It's not quite that bad. Just the tie is enough."

"Just the tie is still too much!" I laughed, snagging a sip off his soda. I'd drained mine a while ago. "I'm still not sure what I want, really. Somewhere to finally settle down would be nice. Somewhere I feel safe; a place I can be myself and still fit in. It gets tiring always being who everyone wants you to be."

He smiled a private little smile and said, "Then stop."

I rolled my eyes. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's only as hard as you make it."

"Thanks for the words of wisdom, Heero." I smirked at him and drained his soda. He only raised an eyebrow at me in response.

I blew off his words, but I had to wonder if they held any truth. Perhaps there was hope for me yet. If anyone would know the answer to that, it was Heero.

He knows me best, after all.


	3. Charity

Title: Charity

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: 1+2(+1?)

Rating: PG (Language)

Word Count: 672

Notes: Heero POV. Part three of the Stages of Love LJ Community Challenge: Seven Virtues.

**Charity**

Duo had been around for two weeks before I realized that he hadn't even started his usual healing progress yet. He was still tired and weary, even if he did seem to feel more at ease than when he calls me on the vid phone. Something was just off. I kept catching him staring off into space; his brows knit together as if he were in deep contemplation. Then I would ask him about it, and he'd shrug it off. It bothered me.

When I found him staring at his half unpacked bag, absent-mindedly kicking the side of it, I'd had enough. He was my friend and my place was supposed to help ease the tension of his life. If my house couldn't offer him that, then I'd just have to do it myself.

I pulled out the wooden desk chair, spinning it around on one leg and planting it firmly in front of the door before I sat in it.

"So…" I said nonchalantly, startling Duo from his thoughts. He looked up at me and I cocked an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

"I've just been a little spacey, that's all."

"Duo, I've known you too long for you to get away with an evasion like that."

He sighed.

"You're my best friend. You can tell me anything. Now talk to me, because you're driving me crazy acting the way you are."

He snorted. "You sound like Hilde. But you're right, it might do me some good to do a little talking." I nodded, silently urging him on. "I just, well, I want a place to settle down for a while."

"Why don't you?"

"That's the thing. I've looked long hand hard for a place I can be comfortable in, and I haven't found it yet. All I want is somewhere that feels familiar and comfortable. It's like the idea of a home is just a fairy tale, you know?" He ran his fingers through his hair, unceremoniously messing them up further. He blew at them in frustration.

"How long are you looking to settle down for?"

"Hell, I don't know, Heero. Long enough to get my head on straight? Long enough that I can figure out who the fuck I am now? I've been a million different people for as long as I can remember. I just want to be me. Maybe then I can find my place in the world. But I can't do that city-hopping. The restlessness is killing me, Heero."

"Stay here then."

His eyes widened slightly. "I couldn't impose on you like that, 'Ro."

I smirked at the slip of the seldom used nickname. "It's not imposing if I offer."

He shook his head. "You like the quiet life out here. You don't need me babbling on everyday."

"You think so? Then tell me, Duo, why did I buy a three bedroom house?"

"Office space?"

"That's only one room."

"Guest room?"

"You're the only overnight guest I have, Duo."

He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Then why?"

"For you, of course."

"Me?"

"It's simple, really. Why wouldn't I make sure I had room for my best friend if he needed it? And now you need it."

"He ducked his head and smirked. "Always prepared, eh?"

"I just do what my heart tells me to. Odin always told me to follow my emotions, so I do."

A pink flush spread across his cheeks and he fidgeted a little. "Well, how could I say no to that?"

I stood and he pulled me awkwardly into an embrace that I happily returned. Anything for Duo. My house was the least of the things I'd give to him. The least of what I'd already given him.

"You really are the best friend a guy could have, 'Ro." I smiled softly as we parted, and I turned to make some tea. Just something to distract me from the burning warmth of Duo I'd had in my arms only moments before.

"So are you, Duo. More than you know."


End file.
